Storytime in HalfMoon's Light
by Medalis
Summary: AU - Fumu has writer's block, and just in time for the largest festival in Dreamland. A series of events, a encounter with everyone's favorite knight, and much cuteness from Kirby might just be the thing to cure her. Very slight, one-sided Meta/Fumu.


_AN:  
_This is a rewritten version of the first fanfiction I submitted to - '_Beautiful World_'. It's one of the few fanfictions I still somewhat like, despite being written two years ago. It was a songfict based on the song of the same name by Utada Hikaru, and was about Fumu (at that time, I refer to her as Tiff) and, by extension, Meta Knight. It was a pairing fict, by the way - one sided Fumu/Meta.  
This is only barely based on my original fiction - many elements have been changed, plot wise and character wise. Some of the things are similar, such as Mabel's role, but most of it has changed. I'm still not sure when this takes place, but it's sometime after the episode with Mr. Chip. I think. :/ It still has some Meta/Fumu, but I tried to tone it down to a guardian/puppy-love kind of relationship. Don't focus on it, m'kay?  
More than half of this was written on a iPad - so I probably missed a few mistakes. Whoops.  
Let's see who can see all the hints and cameos from the Kirby games!

* * *

**In Which Writer's Block Reaps Many Benefits... **

**

* * *

**

_Castle Dedede's Garden…_

The quiet, metronome tapping of a pencil against stone echoed through the small garden. Or, at least, it seemed to echo. It could just be her.

She continued to tap the end of her pencil against the stone fountain, lips quirked in an annoyed frown. She groaned, rolling onto to her back and staring up at the sky. Said sky had been blue when she came out here – now the top of the sky was turning a dark navy color, speckled with a few white dots. She couldn't see the sun anymore – it had disappeared over the edge of the castle's walls some time ago.

With a hopeful glint in her eyes, she turned to the open book – maybe, just _maybe_…

No luck – the page was empty. She groaned, head falling into her hands. Glancing up at the sky, she sighed and grabbed both her journal and her pencil. She hopped off the fountain's edge, landing on the cobblestone.

With a determined glint in her eye, she set off towards a small village near the castle.

* * *

_Pupu Village…_

She was down into the village within a half-hour, book and pencil in hand. Looking around, she saw a few Cappies walking around and hanging lights in trees. She couldn't help but smile – tomorrow was the Half-Moon festival. People were getting the Village ready for the onslaught of Cappies and other Dreamlanders that would be arriving tomorrow for the week-long festival.

Even Kirby had wandered out, and was helping people hang decorations and sew ornamental dolls – and by the look of it, Tokori had been dragged along and was ordering the villagers where to put things. Not many of them seemed to be listening to him.

After waving to Kirby and talking a bit with Hana, she made her way through the village towards Samo's Bar. Walking inside the small building, she noticed Samo and Mabel talking to each other over the counter. The room had been decorated with hanging moons and stars, along with draping curtains. Mabel was sewing a kimono together, one patterned with lilac stars.

Samo noticed her, smiling when she hopped onto a bench next to Mabel. "Good evening, Fumu-San! What can I do for you?"

"Can I have some juice, please?" she asked, setting her book and pencil down on the counter. The bartender nodded, walking towards the fridge in the back.

"Evening, Fumu-San." Mabel said, focusing on her sewing. She smiled at the fortune teller, eyes falling on the silk kimono that she was sewing.

"Is that your festival yukata?" she couldn't help but ask – she hadn't seen many other festival kimonos other than her mother and father's, as the last festival happened a few years after she was born.

Mabel looked up, and nodded. "It is. I haven't worn it in such a long time – I hope it still fits me." The fortune teller chucked, returning to her sewing.

Samo walked back to their portion of the counter holding a bottle of sake and a carton of juice. He set the juice next to Fumu, and poured Mabel and himself a bit of sake.

"So, Fumu-San, what brings you here?" Samo asked, sipping at his sake. "Just visiting?"

"Kinda." She admitted. "I'm trying to write a short story for tomorrow's reading. Mr. Chip is gonna be there, and I want to impress him."

She groaned, continuing. "But I can't think of any good ideas! My mind's a total blank!" She buried her head in her hands again, groaning loudly. "It's frustrating!"

Mabel glanced up from her sewing, blinking. "So you came down to the village for inspiration?"

"Yeah." She pouted, glaring in annoyance at her journal, as if it was the source of all her problems. "I still have no idea, though. I thought the decorations would inspire me…"

Samo crossed his arms, taping his chin in thought. "I see what you mean… Mabel, what did you write for the reading?"

"I copied down an old version of a tale my mother used to tell me. It was about a young girl and a magic koi." The fortune teller said, setting her almost finished yukata aside and taking a sip of her sake.

"Hmph." Fumu sighed, mouth quirking in a pout. "Everyone knows all the stories my parents have told me – they were all basic fairytales, like _Ace in Pupupuland_."

Mabel let out a hum in response, looking up at a cream colored curtain on the ceiling. "Why don't you go to the beach? I find that the beach is very inspiring."

She nodded in response, pout flashing into a quirky smile. "That sounds like a good idea to me! Thanks Mabel! Thanks Samo!"

She ran out the door, grabbing her journal, pencil, and juice carton. Samo glanced at Mabel, raising a non-existent eyebrow.

"Didn't you say you saw Sir Meta Knight at the beach a half-hour ago?" he asked, taking another sip of his drink.

The fortune teller only smiled in a manner more fitting to that of a fox.

* * *

_Pupu Shoreline… _

Walking along the beach was soothing, even though she still didn't have any ideas when it came to her story. She desperately hoped for one – she had already signed up for the reading, and didn't want to be the only person without a story.

Sighing, she looked out at the ocean. The sun was beginning to dip behind the waves, painting the sky and sea alike a deep orange and yellow. Part of her half-expected to see a yellow fin attached to a teal fish poking out from the waves, but it seemed that Kine didn't know she was there. _Thankfully_, she added.

She sighed again, and flopped down onto the sand. She didn't particularly care if sand got in her hair – she was going to have to have a bath anyway, in preparation for tomorrow. A part of her was excited – this was technically her first Half-Moon festival, as the last one happened when she was a toddler – but the other half was worried. Mr. Chip had promised her he would visit the village during the festival, and she _really_ wanted to impress him.

She was drawn out of her thoughts by a soft, clanking sound. It was hard to hear over the gentle roaring of the ocean, but definitely there. She opened her eyes _– _when had she closed them? – And sat up somewhat. Standing a few feet behind her was a dark blue puffball-esc creature, with bright, mirror-like gold eyes.

"Evening, Fumu-Dono." he bowed curtly – or as much as he could bow, considering his body-type – but beyond that, didn't move from his spot. She smiled at him, sitting up fully on the sand.

"Hi, Sir Meta Knight." She responded, looking at him from over her shoulder. Part of her expected him to walk to her side, as that was socially polite, but he didn't move an inch. "What brings you here? To the beach, I mean."

A green shadow passed over his eyes. "I was… thinking…"

"About what?" she pressed. He said nothing in response. She sighed, and turned her gaze back to the waves with a flick of her hair.

It was rather silent, save for the crashing of waves on the sand and stone. Fumu desperately wracked her brain for a topic – while being alone with Sir Meta Knight had its perks, mainly in the case that he was a rather intellectual creature, he would often just stand there and _stare _at her. A topic would keep her mind off how creepy he could be.

"… so, are you going to be down in the village for the Half-Moon festival tomorrow?" she asked, glancing back at him. It seemed like a good topic as any…

"… Half-Moon festival?" the green shadow over his eyes lifted, replaced by a dark purple fog.

Sometimes, she forgot that Sir Meta Knight was an alien to her culture – in more ways than one. All he seemed to really know about Dreamland was its language, and even then he occasionally stumbled up when speaking. No doubt, he had never even heard of the Half-Moon festival – where he was during the last one, when she was a baby, she didn't know. Probably in his room brooding or something like that.

"It's a festival that happens every ten or so years. People from all over Dreamland come to Pupu Village to celebrate. I've never been in one before, but my parents have told me stories of what goes on during the festival. Fireworks, floating lanterns, dancing… all those things." Looking back at what she said, he realized just how absurd she sounded. None of those were things that Sir Meta Knight – ever elusive, quiet, and reserved Sir Meta Knight – seemed to be interested in.

He said nothing, purple fog shifting into a green mist. He was thinking it over.

"And there's a story reading tomorrow too…" she fell silent. He might be interested in a story reading, considering how he always had a book hidden in his cape…

"… I see. I assume you'll be participating in this reading?" the green mist around his eyes dissipated completely, revealing his mirror-like golden eyes. Her lips quirked down into a small pout, and she looked down at the book and pencil lying next to her innocently.

"Yeah. I guess." She sighed, looking back out at the ocean. The sky was darker than it was before, and the sun was nearing the horizon.

The silence returned, for a few moments, before the clanking of armor broke through. Sir Meta Knight sat down next to her, picking up the journal and opening it. She saw his eyes flickering back and forth over the page, before he closed the empty book and placed it back in her lap.

"You are in need of a story." He stated. She looked away, her face heating up. She noticed a green shimmer had settled itself over his eyes, accented with a small pink sparkle.

"Kinda." She mumbled, looking at him. "You're long lived – haven't you heard any stories from other planets or through experience?"

"Are you calling me old?" he asked. The green shimmer darkened into a fog, and his voice lowered. "All stories I know end in tragedy."

"Oh." She fell silent again, and looked down. She should have thought of that – likely chance is that any story he might have heard, he would have quickly forgotten it in order to make room for more attacks or ways to fight.

"Sorry I asked." She added under her breath, hoping he wouldn't hear. Judging by the way his eyes flickered over to her, he must have, but didn't respond to her comment.

He sighed, and stood up. His cape automatically wrapped around his figure, and he reached out a hand towards her. He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, a forced-looking blue glow emanating from him that _almost_ hid the purple shadow over his eyes.

"You're an intelligent young woman, Fumu-Dono. I am certain you'll think of something." The compliment sounded odd, coming from him – Sir Meta Knight was not the kind of person to show compassion to anyone or anything. There was awkward silence, heightened by the hand on her shoulder.

He coughed, the blue glow disappearing completely. His hand left her shoulder, disappearing beneath the folds of his cape. With a flash of his cape, he was gone down the path from the beach to the castle, without another word.

Fumu stared back at him, blinking, before sighing and rubbing her shoulder where his hand was. The area felt warm and tingly – must be a different of heat, she reasoned, as puffballs were not warm-blooded like her.

She looked down at the journal in her lap, picking it and the pencil up. She stood up, stretched, and made her way back to the castle.

* * *

_Castle Dedede, Cabinet Minister Parm's Apartment… _

"Wham! Bam! Sockit-to'em!" she heard Bun cheering on his favorite anime character even before she had fully closed the door to the apartment. Kirby, Lololo, and Lalala were sitting with him on the sofa, but only Kirby was sharing in his enthusiasm.

"Shouldn't you be taking a bath for tomorrow, Bun?" Fumu asked, casting her brother an annoyed glance. He looked away from the TV, and no doubt rolled his eyes at her.

"I don't get the importance of this 'Half-Moon' festival thing. I mean, what's the big deal?" his attention was obviously divided – most of it was on the giant robot anime playing on the TV.

"Bun!" their mother, sitting at the dinner table sewing, looked up at her youngest child. "The Half-Moon festival is of great cultural importance to Dreamland!"

"Besides," their mother cast a smile over at her husband, who was busy cooking. "I met your father there. Remember, sweetheart?"

Their father smiled back at her, and sighed. "Most certainly I remember. It was under the first of the floating lanterns that I saw you, and I instantly knew you were the one for me."

Bun made a faux gagging sound, sticking his tongue out. Kirby stared at him for a second, before copying his expression. A moment later, Bun's hair puffed up in a way that meant he usually had an idea – she cast a glance at her brother, noticing him giving her a sly glare.

"Well doesn't _that _sound familiar." He grinned at her in a rather rude manner. He hopped off the sofa, and pushed his hair back so his eyes – pink, like their mother's – were showing. He cleared his throat, making sure everyone could see him and was paying attention.

"_I swear, sometimes I just don't get him!_" he began, voice higher pitched and more annoying than normal. He flipped his hair, rolling his eyes. "_He's such a brooder! All he does is strut around in that cape of his! _"

Fumu's mouth fell open, as she realized just _what _he was reciting...

"_I mean, come on! Doesn't he get it when I'm trying to talk to him? Doesn't he get that I-_"

"You little _brat!_"

She cut him off by pouncing on him, empty journal and pencil forgotten on the floor. They struggled on the floor, Bun laughing and trying to get _those _words out while she tried to clamp her hand on his mouth.

Lololo and Lalala leaped in immediately, pulling the siblings apart. Bun was still laughing, much to her dismay, but at least he wasn't reciting _that _entry anymore…

"You little twerp! How did you get into my diary?" she snapped at him, struggling against Lalala's admittingly strong grip. Bun stuck his tongue out at her.

"Don't give yourself so much credit – it was _easy!_"

"You had Kirby steal it for you, didn't you!"

"_Nuh-uh!_"

"Kirby, did he have you steal my diary?"

"Po-ya!"

"_Kirby! _You weren't supposed to tell her that!"

Their parents looked at each other, then at the bickering siblings. Parm shrugged, and went back to his cooking – Memu soon followed his example and chose to ignore the two. It wasn't as if the two didn't argue…

After a few moments, Lalala let go of Fumu, seeming to sense that she wouldn't tackle her brother again. She sighed in agitation, walking towards the washroom with a definite stomp in her step. She slammed the door to the washroom closed, causing a few things – like the ceramic cup on the counter – to rattle.

She glared at the door for a few moments, before sighing in defeat and burying her head in her hands. Why did Bun have to start reciting _that _entry, of all things? As if she needed to be any more stressed or riled up…

She glanced at the bathtub. A bath would do her good, both mentally and physically.

She turned on the water, before sitting down on the stood next to the tub and waiting for the water to reach the desired temperature and level. She buried her head in her hands again, listening to the sound of water rushing into the tub.

The door creaked open, but she didn't look up. She didn't hear any footsteps, meaning it was likely Lololo or Lalala – a moment later, the door closed, and she looked up. There, lying on the cabinet was her empty journal and pencil.

She wasn't sure if her family heard her exasperated growl and the _clunk _of the journal hitting the wall.

* * *

_Later…_

A bath had helped, even if minutely – the stress from the upcoming reading was still there, but she wasn't as angry at Bun anymore. Or, at least, she managed to sit down next to him and Kirby and manage not to dunk his head in his serving of _hiyashi chuka_.

After tucking Kirby into bed in their spare room – he was staying with them tonight, because it was too dark out for him to walk home – and reading him a short snippet of _Ace in Pupupuland_, she made her way back to her own room.

After closing and locking the door – thereby hopefully keeping Bun from dumping ice water on her head – she turned around, aiming to find her bedclothes and go to bed…

Only to find her empty journal lying on top of the bed sheets, open to the first page. She nearly groaned – would that journal ever stop _taunting _her? She stomped over to the bed, aiming to grab it and shove it into the shelf with the rest of her journals…

She faltered, hand hovering over the once-empty journal. There, printed on the first few lines in blue ink, was a single sentence.

_You're an intelligent young woman… You'll think of something, I'm sure._

There was no signature, but she immediately knew who it was from. No one else used blue ink, nor did anyone else use such a formal way of writing – even though they obviously had trouble with the language itself.

She cast a glance outside her dark window, and, not to her surprise, she saw a dim golden glow around the edge of the window. She considered walking over to the window and opening it, but decided against it - he would know she got his message, and was thankful for it.

Still smiling, she picked up her journal and sat down at her desk, opening it to the second page. With a happy twinkle in her eyes, she began to scribble down her idea…

It took several hours, but when she finally laid the pencil down at the side of her now somewhat-full journal, she couldn't help but feel proud. She closed the journal, quickly changing into her nightclothes, and set off for bed. She fell asleep within minutes.

Several hours later, the window opened from the outside. A dark figure stepped into the room, making sure to keep his glowing gold eyes off the girl sleeping in her bed. He walked over to the desk, opening the journal and reading through it. He stumbled a bit with several parts, but at the end, his eyes turned a sparkling mix of pink and blue. He glanced up at the girl in her bed, and chuckled lowly.

"I knew you could do it…" he whispered, placing the journal back and hopping back onto the windowsill. The window shut quietly, leaving no trace that he had been in the room.

* * *

_The Next Day, Castle Dedede, Cabinet Minister Parm's Apartment…_

"Hold still, Bun!"

"Ow! Too tight, too tight!" Bun complained, trying to squirm away from his mother. She was tying a belt around his kimono, while his father was holding him still. Both Bun and Parm were wearing nigh-identical kimonos, the only difference being color – Parm's was a dull shade of gold, while Bun's was bright teal and purple.

"_Hush_!" his mother scolded, patting the tie when she was finished, and moved onto the next one. "You're just not used to wearing anything other than those overalls."

"Still don't get why I have'ta get dressed up…" he grumbled, messing with his hair – like his father's, it had been tied up into a pony tail. He didn't like not having it over his eyes.

"Only because this is one of the largest and most important festivals in Dreamland, Bun." His father reasoned, lifting one hand to fix the younger boy's hair. "Lololo, Lalala, would you hold Bun for me? I need to check if Fumu and Kirby are ready."

"Yes sir!" Lololo and Lalala had both gotten dressed up for the festival – while not having the body shape that would be able to pull off a yukata, they had managed to attach hair clips with synthetic hair to their heads, giving Lololo a spiky ponytail and Lalala a long black braid. They were also donning small cape-like cloths painted with Dedede's symbol on their backs.

Lololo took ahold of Bun's left, while Lalala took ahold of his right – both managed to hold him stiller than Parm had, much to Memu's relief. Speaking of Parm, he walked over to a nearby door and knocked on it.

"Fumu? Are you and Kirby ready?" he asked, pressing his 'ear' to the door. There was a muffled '_almost_' from the other side of the door.

On the other side of the door, Fumu was holding Kirby still, and trying to attach a hair clip to the small puffball's head. It resembled Lololo's own faux hair clip, but was less spiky and longer. She had already managed to get a small belt with a sheath and fake katana on the puffball, but Kirby was less willing to let her put the clip on.

"Come on Kirby! It doesn't hurt, trust me! I tried it on myself to make sure…" she struggled to hold the tiny puffball still, but finally managed to clip the hair clip on. Kirby broke free of her grip and ran around in circles, apparently trying to run away from the long black ponytail that followed him. She couldn't help but giggle at the sight – Kirby was _adorable. _

After a few moments, Kirby stopped running from himself and gave Fumu a rather confused look. She giggled, turning from the puffball momentarily to make sure she hadn't mussed up her _yukata. _The _yukata _in question was pink, with a green koi painted on the lower portion. Her _obi _was green like the koi, with a blue pattern painted onto the fabric. Her hair had been tied back with a pink ribbon, which, like her _obi, _had blue patterns on it.

Luckily, it hasn't been messed up in her struggle with Kirby – she wasn't sure her mother would like fixing it, especially after forcing Bun into his kimono. She smoothed out a single wrinkle in the fabric, grabbed a fan from her desk and placed it into her _obi, _and put her journal and some Deden she had saved up into a bag.

She took Kirby's hand and led him out into the living room, openly giggling at the '_help me_' look that Bun gave her. Memu patted his shoulder and stood back up, before grabbing a basket off the sofa. She cast a long glance over each of her family members, no doubt making sure they weren't unsightly in any way.

She nodded her consent, and smiled. "Now, who's ready for the festival?"

* * *

_Pupu Village, Half-Moon Festival..._

Pupu Village was _crowded. _More crowded than Fumu ever remembered seeing it. The village square had been transformed into a stage, where a band was playing. There were many booths set up in the nearby field, right outside the town. There were Dreamlanders _everywhere - _be them Cappies, Waddle Dees, Bronto Burts, and even a dozen species she hadn't ever seen before.

It was _amazing_, nonetheless. She kept her eye out for the familiar pale skinned, brown haired, glasses wearing teacher she knew so well, but at first glance, she couldn't find him in the mass of travelers and gypsies.

She'd see him later on, at the story-reading. He had promised he would be there.

She had split up with her parents, and was in a large group with the other children of Pupu Village - they had all agreed to meet up and traverse the festival together for safety. For all of them, this was their first festival - everyone wanted to see _everything_, from handmade bags to festive _manju_.

Fumu was on her first _manju_ sweet when she _finally _noticed a brown-haired creature wandering around with a very lost looking expression on its face.

"Mr. Chip!" he looked up at his name, just in time to steady himself for the glomp from the pale-furred girl. She hugged him, grinning. "I was worried you weren't going to be here!"

"Well, I promised I would, didn't I?" he responded, patting the girl's head. She looked up at him, and tilted her head.

"Mr. Chip, where's your festival yukata?" she asked, noticing that he was, instead of a yukata or kimono, wearing a brown suit, similar to the one he wore when they first met. He blushed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Teachers don't make enough to even be able to rent a kimono..." he sighed, pushing his glasses back onto his face. He looked around, probably racking his brain for a topic - much like she did with Sir Meta Knight, she noted.

"... Is there anywhere where we could sit down and talk? It's a bit crowded here." he said, stepping out of the way of a jester creature on a beach ball. Fumu nodded, and took his hand, leading him to Kawasaki's restaurant.

It wasn't hugely crowded in Kawasaki's, much to her relief - a few tables were taken up, mostly by families who were eating before the dinner rush. A Waddle Dee wearing a blue bandanna led them to a table by a wall, furthest away from the door. The Dee handed them their menus, and then ran off to the kitchen.

"So... How's it been since I was last here?" Mr. Chip asked after a few moments, setting down his menu. Fumu looked up at him, and put her menu down too.

"Same stuff as always - Dedede orders a demon beast, tries to kill Kirby, fails miserably... The usual." she sighed, rubbing her forehead. She desperately hoped Dedede would be too busy chasing women (even though it was obvious that he preferred other males) to try and kill Kirby this week.

Mr. Chip gave her a quirky look. "Never thought I'd hear a child call a demon beast attack 'normal'."

"Never said 'normal' - just... common. What about you?"

"Me?" the teacher pushed his glasses back onto his face. "Well, I found a job..."

"Where?"

"Trial City." The bandanna-wearing Waddle Dee returned, taking their menus and orders. "Their dean needs an assistant, and I have the highest degree of ability..."

"Oh... So, you're a secretary?" she noted the disappointed glint in his eyes.

"Pretty much... Oh well. At least I get to substitute when another teacher is out." he sighed, glancing away. The Waddle Dee returned, holding two plates of sushi and two pairs of chopsticks.

After a few moments of eating, Mr. Chip made a surprised sound and grabbed his bag from behind his chair. He pulled out a package, wrapped in newspaper and twine, and handed it to Fumu.

"I almost completely forgot about this - don't open it until after the story reading, okay?" he smiled. She nodded her head, running a hand over the package. It felt like a book of some sort... She grinned, and put the package in her bag.

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Moments later, after finishing their meals (Fumu put the rest of what they hadn't eaten in a box for Kirby) the two made their way out of town, and into the fields. It was just as crowded there, most likely because that was were the booths were. The two found a relatively empty hill, occupied only by Sir Meta Knight and his knaves (and Kirby).

"Afternoon, Fumu-Dono!" Sword and Blade looked up at her, each holding a identical cup of tea. Both were donning samurai uniforms with both Dedede's symbol painted on their backs for the festival. Sir Meta Knight, on the other hand, didn't look that different than normal - he had a long scar on his mask, no shoulder pads, a faux ponytail similar to Kirby's, and a long silk cape decorated with bats and Dedede's symbol. He too was holding a cup of tea, and was trying to show Kirby how to hold the cup.

"Afternoon, Fumu-Dono." Sir Meta Knight greeted absently, trying to mold Kirby's paws around the small cup. "Tea?"

Fumu nodded, sitting down next to Kirby and motioning for Mr. Chip to sit next to her. He complied, obviously uncomfortable - understandably, as Sir Meta Knight and his knaves were a fairly... odd bunch.

Sword passed them both a cup, and poured some tea in the cups. Sir Meta Knight sighed, giving up on trying to teach Kirby, and turned his mirror-like gaze to Fumu and Mr. Chip. She swore that the teacher turned an even paler shade than he was already.

"And who might you be...?" a green mist settled itself over his eyes.

"C-Chip." the teacher stuttered, quickly lifting his cup to drink - probably trying to hide his unusually pale face from the rather creepy knight. Mr. Chip took a sip of his tea, and his face paled even more (how could someone turn so pale?). He coughed, trying to hide his expression behind a handkerchief.

Fumu gave him a curious look, tilting her head at him. She shrugged, and lifted her cup to drink. Her eyes widened after taking a sip, and she tried not to gag. Sword and Blade, she noticed, had never touched their own tea, merely holding it.

"Is something the matter, Fumu-Dono?" Sir Meta Knight's eyes turned a foggy purple.

"The tea is a bit... sweet." she tried to smile - but it tasted like someone had dumped a barrel of sugar in the mix! She worried for Kirby - she rarely let him eat overly sweet things, because mostly she had no idea what would happen if he ate too much sugar. If Bun's sugar rushes were horrible, she'd hate to see Kirby's...

"Really?" the fog over the knight's eyes dissipated. "And here I thought I hadn't put enough sugar in."

Mr. Chip coughed, putting his cup down on the ground. Sir Meta Knight gave the teacher a look, eyes flashing. The puffball stood, cape folding around his body. He stopped in front of the teacher, eyes clouded by a green sparkle.

"My name is Metanaito-Kyou." the knight said, using his hand to motion to himself. He then motioned to his knaves. "These are my knaves - Soodonaito and Buredonaito."

"Uh... Hi." Mr. Chip practically squeaked. Poor guy - Sir Meta Knight was certainly was an intense person, particularly to someone as shy as Mr. Chip. It reminded her of the first time she had met the dark knight.

The knight gave the teacher a long look, sitting back down next to Kirby and taking a sip of his tea (how he did this, she didn't know). Kirby glanced at the older knight, before coping him. The little pink puffball gagged, blinked, looked down at the tea, and sat it down on the blanket while grimacing.

She didn't know about the others, but she was having trouble trying to keep from laughing.

* * *

_Pupu Village Square, Half-Moon Festival..._

The sun was starting to dip below the tree line, and the sky was turning a gentle red color. In the sky, Halfmoon hung in the sky like a second moon. Dreamlanders were walking from the stands to the village center, where the event would be taking place. At the moment, a band was playing, waiting for the Mayor to come and usher them away from the stage.

Fumu stood in a small crowd of Dreamlanders, holding her journal to her chest. The other Dreamlanders all were holding either books, pieces of paper, or journals like her. The only person she recognized in the small crowd was Mabel, who was talking with a Benny.

Fumu tried to calm her nerves - she could see Mr. Chip in front of the stage, tapping his foot in tune with the band. She rubbed her forehead, flipping through the pages of her journal again.

"Relax." Fumu nearly jumped at the hand that landed on her shoulder, eyes going wide and head twisting to look over her shoulder. Sir Meta Knight took his hand off her shoulder, walking around to fully face her. She groaned, burying her head in her hands.

"_NOVA,_ Sir Meta Knight! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she snapped, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. He chuckled, eyes nearly obscured by a bright pink sparkle.

"Apologies, Fumu-Dono." she swore his tone was teasing, but this was Sir Coldhearted she was talking to... "You're stressed, and anxious. You need to relax."

"Thanks for the advice, Sir Obvious." she grumbled, pouting at him. The pink sparkle dissipated, and stared blankly at her.

"I am merely trying to help, Fumu-Dono." he said, drawing his cape around his round body. It flowed near the hem, the little bats seeming to move.

She groaned, burying her face in her hands again. "I know... Sorry Sir, I'm just stressed. What if he doesn't think I did a good job on my story?"

"Does it matter if the teacher likes it or not?" the Knight's tone was dry, and he cast a glance back, no doubt at the teacher he spoke of.

"Well, kinda. I mean... _nhah!_" she gave the knight a sharp glare. "He's one of the few people I look up to! Be respectful!"

The knight gave her a dry look - or at least, she assumed it was dry. It looked more blank than dry or annoyed. "He has yet to gain any respect from me, child. Until then, why should I care?"

Fumu stared at him for a few seconds, before groaning and rubbing her forehead. "I will never understand what goes through that head of yours, Sir Meta Knight."

The knight was silent, eyes blankly staring at her. A purple fog descended over his eyes, followed by green mist.

He sighed, a hand lifting and rubbing his forehelm. "In any case, your story is good."

He chuckled at the shocked expression that fell over her face, eyes momently misting over with a pink sparkle. "What? If you didn't want me to read it, you should lock your window."

She glared at him, letting out a huff. "You're one strange guardian. Although, thanks for the note. It... Inspired me,"

"Obviously." his tone was amused, obvious by the pink sparkle in his eyes. Suddenly, the band stopped playing, and Mayor Len stepped onto the stage, speaking to the crowd.

Sir Meta Knight looked at her, eyes gaining a bright blue glow, before he dashed off. She smiled, running a hand through her fur, only to find something by her ear. She took it out, staring, before a bright smile settled itself on her face.

In her hand was a lotus blossom, one that had obviously been placed her hair by someone. She smiled, a deep red blush settling over her cheeks, and looked back - she couldn't see him, but it was obvious who had left the lotus. She put the flower back in her hair, and grasped her journal with a determined glint in her eyes.

"First up - Parm Fumu-San of our very own Pupu Village!" she heard the mayor call her up to the stage. She walked up to the stage, and bowed to the audience, opening her journal.

_Let's do this. _


End file.
